See the United States of America in its 8-bit Glory

Even if you don’t actually remember when video games were only as sophisticated as 8-bit graphics could make them, there’s still a lot of nostalgia out there for that style of visuals. So it’s only natural that someone has gone and made a map of the United States of America that captures its natural beauty and majesty while also looking like the kind of place Mario and Luigi might encounter some troublesome Koopa Troopas.

To complete that classic video game look and feel, it’s also been animated and packed full of quirky little Easter eggs for you to find and enjoy. From sea to shining blocky sea, this is America at its best, a land of great diversity and contradictions and you can spend hours picking out every place that you know and learning about those that you don’t.

The West Coast

America’s West Coast is full of iconic sights, so there’s plenty to look out for in this section of the map, from the Space Needle up in Seattle to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the spotlights and glitz of Las Vegas. Move further inland and you can see Monument Valley, Lake Tahoe and Mount Rushmore, with 8-bit buffalo roaming on the plains.

The East Coast

You can instantly see a lot more green on this side of the country and far fewer signs of the Old West, but just as many famous landmarks, like New York’s Statue of Liberty and One World Trade Center or Disney World’s castle down in Florida. Over in Chicago, there’s the Willis Tower (or the Sears Tower if you prefer nostalgic names as well as old video games), along with a treasure trove of local sights and animals to check out in some of the other states on show here.

Alaska

It may be cut off from the rest of the States up north, but this map hasn’t forgotten Alaska with its incredible natural beauty and wild, rugged charm. If this was a level in Super Mario, he’d be slipping and sliding across the icy surfaces and watching out for the reindeer, wolves and bears. We’re not entirely sure Santa Claus really lives in Alaska if we’re being honest, but he certainly looks at home.

Hawaii

From one extreme to another, Hawaii’s islands may be small but there’s still lots of details included in these 8-bits here. From cruise ships to smaller boats to dolphins, seals and volcanoes, this is a terrain that would be a challenge for any video game hero to deal with. But they’d be sure to get a warm welcome and an Aloha at the very least.

The beauty of 8-bit maps like these is always in the little details, so don’t get carried away with the parts that you instantly recognize, have a look at all the delights in between. The only disappointment you’ll suffer is realizing at the end that there isn’t really a video game to play in this incredible world that’s been created.